When you apply for a benefit from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — such as a work permit, citizenship, green card or even a green card renewal — a standard part of the process is a biometrics appointment (also known as a biometrics screening). It may sound scary, but most people shouldn’t be concerned. Regardless, it's important to understand what happens at your USCIS appointment, what to expect, and who should be concerned.
The technical definition of “biometrics” means that a person’s unique physical and other traits are detected and recorded as a means of confirming identity. In simple terms, USCIS will obtain your photograph, fingerprints and have you sign your name. This process confirms your identity so that USCIS provides benefits to the correct person and facilitates the necessary criminal background check. USCIS will submit your biometrics to the FBI for the criminal background check. They will not draw blood nor will they gather DNA for the purposes of DNA testing. A biometrics screening is not an interview. Therefore, you can expect this process to be quick. You don’t have to bring any payment with you to the biometrics appointment if you have already paid the biometrics fee(s) with your application (this is usually the case).
USCIS will mail you the biometrics appointment notice after you submit your application or petition. The appointment will take place before you receive any benefits or a card in the mail. The letter will arrive as an "Application Support Center (ASC) Appointment Notice" (Form I-797C, Notice of Action) and will include information about the date, time and location for your ASC appointment. The appointment itself takes most people 15 to 30 minutes.
USCIS recommends that you attend the biometrics appointment at the Application Support Center that has been scheduled for you. If the location of this ASC is not convenient for you, some applicants have been able to reschedule the appointment at an alternative ASC. A change in location is at the discretion of USCIS. For a list of ASCs, see the USCIS Service and Office Locator.
Again, USCIS will schedule the time and location for you. USCIS recommends that you appear at the ASC which has been assigned to you. If you are outside the United States, the appointment will be at a U.S. embassy or consulate near you.
You may notice that your ASC Biometrics Appointment Notice includes a code in the top right part of the letter. The code indicates the type of biometrics processing to be performed. The possible values are:
You may reschedule a USCIS biometric appointment if absolutely necessary. However, you should expect a reschedule to significantly delay your overall processing time. USCIS generally recommends that you attend the appointment that they schedule for you. If you must reschedule, be prepared to establish that you have "good cause."
Good cause exists where the request to reschedule provides a sufficient reason for the benefit requestor’s inability to appear on the scheduled appointment date. According to USCIS, sufficient reasons for “good cause” may include, but are not limited to:
If you are unable to attend a biometrics appointment and can establish good cause for rescheduling, use the USCIS website to reschedule the appointment online. To use the biometric services appointment rescheduling tool, you must first create a USCIS online account (if you do not already have one) and visit my.uscis.gov before your scheduled appointment date. You must:
If you are unable to reschedule your biometrics appointment online, call USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833) before the date and time of your original appointment.
If you fail to request a new appointment before your scheduled appointment or fail to establish good cause, USCIS may not reschedule the appointment. If you fail to appear for your originally scheduled biometric services appointment and the appointment is not rescheduled, they will consider the related application, petition, or request abandoned and, as a result, USCIS may deny it. USCIS no longer accepts written requests to reschedule the appointment.
Rescheduling your appointment will delay your case. It is likely that USCIS will deny the application or petition you filed if biometrics is not satisfied within a reasonable time frame. Therefore, it's generally best to complete the biometrics screening as soon as possible.
When you get your biometric services appointment notification, it will include a list of items to take to the appointment. In addition to the appointment notice itself (Form I-797C), you must take government-issued photo identification. Typically, acceptable documents include:
When you appear for your biometrics appointment, USCIS will digitally capture your fingerprints, photograph and signature on a LiveScan machine. When it is time to sign your name, USCIS will ask you to attest to the truth of the following statement:
I declare under penalty of perjury that I have reviewed and understand my application, petition, or request as identified by the receipt number displayed on the screen above, and all supporting documents, applications, petitions, or requests filed with my application, petition, or request that I (or my attorney or accredited representative) filed with USCIS, and that all of the information in these materials is complete, true, and correct.
They will only display the statement in the English or Spanish languages. If you require a different language, USCIS recommends that you select the appropriate language translation and review it before you appear for your ASC appointment.
